Yesterday
by Reykja
Summary: A Tsunade X Jiraiya one shot. Why did it never work out between them? Tsunade's POV.


_A challenge given to me by Victoria Levi._

_Pairing: Tsunade and Jiraya._

_Criteria: Tsunade's point of view, her reason for not ever staying with Jiraya or hooking up with him._

_Time limit: 1 hour_

_You know what to do... read and review! :)_

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That incorrigible toad. She'd caught him spying in the onsen's female section for the second time this month. If he'd been any other man she would have given him suitable punishment by ordering him to do community service in the village. Knowing him though, he'd probably either get Naruto to do it instead or use it as an excuse to get into restricted areas for more 'research'. Even worse, he'd do the same thing over again, and emphatically claim that 'observing the beauty of the female body _is_ a kind of community service'.

Beating him to a pulp wasn't an option; she needed him to go on a mission soon. More importantly, he was one of the few available ninja who could supervise Naruto's training and still survive. Tsunade shook her head and sighed, turning her attention back to the immense amounts of paperwork Shizune had just dumped on her desk. Sometimes she really regretted taking on the position of Hokage. If that...._toad_ wasn't so selfish and puerile, he would be doing this in her stead.

No matter, done was done and she had to get through these documents before the end of the day so she could go home without Shizune's guilt trips and constant hounding. Done was done... That was all in the past anyway, wasn't it? The Hokage pinched the bridge of her nose, willing the memories to go away. Now wasn't the time to be thinking about ancient history.

* * *

_And yet, it may as well have been yesterday..._

Jiraiya, running around her in circles yelling, "Flat as a board! Flat-chested Tsunade! Even Orochimaru's got bigger tits than yooo-"

His teasing was cut short by a fierce uppercut sending him flying into some nearby bushes.

"Now now, Tsunadehime, that wasn't very nice. Admittedly Jiraiya can be a little bit insensitive..." Sarutobi-sensei began another lecture on the art of non-violence.

* * *

_Yesterday..._

Jiraiya, coming towards her, arms out, fingers wiggling. "Wooooo, Tsunade! My, my how you've grown over the summer! What about a squeeze, for ol' times' sake! They're lookin' ripe!"

Jiraiya, flying up in an arc, blood spurting from his nose, gushing like a fountain.

* * *

_Yesterday..._

Jiraiya, embracing her as she liberated tears over the death of her brother.

Jiraiya's arms tightly wound around her, holding her as she shed bitter tears for Dan.

* * *

_Yesterday..._

"Why don't we give you and me a shot, Tsunade?"

"Ha! You think I could live with a pervert like you? You'd be dead within a month!"

She turned to face him, laughing, and expecting him to be just as amused by the idea as she was.

"I mean it Tsunade... You've shot me down a lot over the years, and let's face it; I wasn't entirely serious back then. We've both been through the pain of loving someone and losing them..."

She flinched. Those words cut like knives, her emotional wounds were still fresh. "Don't be ridiculous! That's such a preposterous notion, you shouldn't even bring it up!" she replied, her response escaping her lips a little more scathing than she had intended.

He looked genuinely hurt. "Tsunade, please just li-"

"No! It's out of the question! A dirty pig like you, and a gambling addict like me? The only thing we have in common is drinking too much sake! It could never work!" she said, trying to smooth over her earlier remark with some humour.

Her eyes softened. "It's not you... I need to be free. I have to go my own way and do my own thing. That's all I want from life, now."

"Bullshit!" Jiraiya clenched his fists, his eyes burning with rage. "You're just scared you'll get hurt again! You just don't want to be vulnerable! The invincible medical nin, the granddaughter of the First Hokage, the woman who has to be strong and independent!"

Tsunade was visibly startled by his outburst. "Ji-"

"No, you listen to me now! I'm offering you a chance at happiness! A chance to find whatever it is you're still searching for, but for some reason you deny it! Neither of us is perfect, but we have a shot at something good, can't you see that!?"

He was standing in front of her now as his words flowed in torrents, overwhelming her. He took a deep breath to try to calm down. Tsunade stood in silence, observing him.

"I can't do this back and forth stuff anymore, Tsunade. You know how I feel about you. You _know_. Base your decision on that. Let me _in_."

Her eyes were welling up against her will. Tears flooded down her cheeks, falling like raindrops, crashing to the ground. She stared at the man she so desperately loved.

"I-I can't..." she whispered, looking away.

"Then I'll never bring it up again," he said hoarsely, brushing her cheek with the back of his hand as he turned to walk away.

* * *

_That was all yesterday..._

"Tsunade-sama! Are you sleeping at your desk again!?"

Shizune shrill voice roused the Hokage from her thoughts, eyes popping and obviously furious.

"Ahh Shizune! You know, I was thinking of going to go get a drink... we could do all this paperwork at an izakaya instead, couldn't we?" Tsunade asked, all smiles.

As her assistant frothed at the mouth listing about a dozen reasons why that was a terrible idea, Tsunade was already lost in her memories again. "A missed chance at happiness huh..." she whispered.

"Tsunade-sama! Are you listening to me!?"

The Hokage waved her rants off casually, and made for the door. She was going to need more than just one drink tonight.

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End file.
